Antibacklash reel



June 8, 1926.

w. SCHMID ALJTIBACKLASH REEL Filed August 24, 1925 Cluomms Patents: .lune 8, 1926,

WILLmm SCHMID, O15 COLDWATER, MICHIGAN.

ANTIBAGKLASH REEL.

App11eati0n filed August 24, 1925. Serial No. 51,932.

, This invention relates to an anti-backlash fishing reel that may be advantageously lid till

used for bait casting purposes, the reel including an anti-backlash mechanism which is compactly arranged in the reel and adapted to prevent line entanglement on the reel spool.

. The anti-backlash mechanism includes a novel brake shoe member normally under spring pressure to retard rotation of the reel spool. The spring or springs associated with such brake shoe member are susceptible to wear and ordinarily it is necessary to disassemble the parts of the reel in order to adjust the spring for further use after it has weakened and fails to provide a desired degree of tension on the brake shoe member. To obviate the necessity of taking apart the reel, T have devised means operatable exteriorly of the reel for increasin or decreasing the tension of a spring a. reel and associated with the brake shoe member.

My invention further aims to provide a novel mounting for a line bail ada ted to be actuated by a line to shift a brake s oe mem her and release a reel spool so that it may freely revolve,

My improvements will be hereinafter specifically described and then claimed, and reference will now be had to the drawing, wherein- Figure 1 is an end view of a reel with the gear housing thereoi't removed;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the reel, partly broken away and partly in section, and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the reel heads.

In the drawing, the reference numeral 1 denotes a reel seat member and suitably attached thereto are reel heads 2 and? con nected by pillars a and other elements so as to form a durable and rigid ire tor a line spool 5 journaled in the heads 2 and 3. The spool 5 has a cup shaped end members 6 and 7, and a line 8 is attached to the spool and adapted to be wound thereon by a conventional term of gearing operatively suported in a gear housing 9- attached to the head 2 of the reel. A conventional form of level wind mechanism 10 may form part of the reel and be operated in the usual man- -ner. So far I have described what may be considered an ordinary type of level wind fishing reel to the anti-backlash feature or the reel.

and reference will now be had The head 2 of the reel is provided with an opening 11, and loosely mounted in the opening is the angular end 12 of a flat brake shoe member 13, said member being mounted against the reel head 2 so as to be somewhat guided thereby. The brake shoe member is curved or of irregular shapein order toprovide clearance for the spool operating mechanism, and said brake shoe member includes a guide extension 14;, an arcuated shoe 15,

a roller bearing 16, and an angular end 17 which 18 opposite the angular end 12 ot' the brake shoe member. The arcuated shoe 15 and the roller bearing 16 are in proximity to each other, and adjacent the loosely mounted or pivoted end of the brake shoe member, so that the remaining portion of the brake shoe member will serve as a long lever adapted to be actuated at the angular end 17 thereof. The brake shoe 15 extendsintothe cup-shaped end member of the spool 5 and normally engages the annular wall of said member to retard rotation oi? the spool 5..

Suitably anchored on the side of the head.

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2. The tapered member 20 constitutes means for increasing or decreasing the tension of the spring 19 relative to the brake shoe member, and said tapered member has been shown in its extreme innermost position in the drawing. It the tapered member 20 is screwed outwardly, the tension of the spring 19 on the roller bearing 16 may be reduced, and it will be noted that this spring adjusting means may be adjusted without removing the gear housing 9. I believe this to be a istinct advantage compared to those reels which must be taken apart to adjust an anti backlash mechanism,

The reel heads 2 and 3 are provided with transversely alining openings with one of the openings 24: triangular 1n shape. Fulcrumed in these openings are the end portions of a transverse member 25 supporting a bail 26. One of the end portions of the member or bail is designated 27 and this end portion extends through the triangular shaped opening 24 and is itself triangular in cross section, so that it will present a fulcrumed edge 28 to ride against the wall of the opening 24 and rock in said opening to impinge against the angular end 17 of the brake shoemember 13' and shift said brake shoe member sufficiently to move the brake shoe 15 out of engagement with the spool end member 6. Such movement-stresses the spring 19, so that immediately upon the brake shoe member being released by the bail 26 assuming normal position, the brake shoe 15 will again exert pressure against the spool end of. I

The line 8 extends under the bail 26 or in an operatable relation thereto so that when casting the line 8, it will raise'the bail 27 by reason of the line becoming more or less taut. Ordinarily when casting and a lure striking the water the spool is thumbed to prevent a backlash, but this is unnecessary with my reel, because when the line 8 becomes momentarily slack incident to a lure striking the water, the bail 27 is released and restored to normal position under the influence of the spring pressed brake Tshoe member 13. Release of this brake shoe member, which has been held in a\'retracted position by the raised bail 27, permits the brake shoe 15 to engage the spool'end member 6, and immediately stop the rotation of the spool so that there cannot be any backlash or line entanglement on the spool. The pressure of the brake shoe member on the spool end member is not so reat as to prevent rotation of the spool ya lure sinking in the water, if such tackle is used, and assuming that. the lure sinks and reaches a stage of 1 rest, then there is'a brake action against the spool, which will prevent a stream of water from washing the line to the extent of unwinding it from the s ool. Should the lure be taken by a fish, t e line is drawn. taut with the result that the 'bail is raised and the brake shoe member'13 shifts to permit of free rotation of the reel spool and play-.

ing out of the line until controlled by the operator of the reel. Win'ding in a taut line renders the anti-backlash mechanism inactive and does-not interfere in theleast withthe level wind mechanism of the reel.

With the brake shoe member 13 substanv tially flat against the head 2 of the reel, one end of the brake shoemember pivoted in the reel head, and the opposite end of the brake shoe member engaging the bail end portion, it is practically impossible for the brake shoe member to become accidentally displaced or interfere with the spool driving or operating mechanism of the reel.

It is thought that the operation of the anti-backlash mechanism may be apparent without.further description, and I would have it lllldGIStOOd that this mechanismis member 6'to retard rotation therescrew portion in the head of the reel adapted for increasing the pressure of .the spring, said means including a tapered member 1n engagement with said spring and adapted to be adjusted relative thereto.

2. In an anti-backlash fishing reel wherein a rotary spool has a cup shaped end member normally engaged by a spring ressed brake shoe member bearing outward y in a radial direction against said spool end member;means adapted to retract said shoe member to release the s 001, said means comprising a fulcrumed ail having an end formation which rocks against the reel and shifts said brake shoe member inwardly from said spool end member.

3. In an anti-backlash fishing reel wherein a rotary spool is normally engaged by a spring pressed brake shoe member,- and wherein said reel has a head provided with a triangular sha ed openin ;-means ada ted to retract sai shoe mem er to release t e spool, said means comprising a fulcrumed' bail having an end formation rockable in shoe extending into and normall engaging said spool, a spring holding the s oe of said brake shoe member against said spool, means operatable exteriorof said reel and extending transversely of said spring adapted for regulatingv the action of said sprin and a line actuated bail adapted to shift said brake shoe member to disengage the shoe of said brake shoe member relative to the end of said spool.

5. An anti-backlash reel as called for in claim 4, wherein the first mentioned means is screwed in the reel head adjacent said spring. 7 6. n anti-backlash reel as called for in claim 5 wherein said bail has an end formation rockable inthe reel head adjacent the end member ofsaid spool to effect movement of said brakes'hoe member.

7. In an anti-backlash reel wherein a spool is driven by gearing within a reel head, and an' anti-backlash mechanism in said'reel head is bail actuated to control rotation of said spool ;a spring controlling the action of said anti-backlash mechanism, and means rotruding into the outer wall of the reel sad and transversely of said spring adapted to regulate the tension of said spring.

8. An antibacklash reel as called for in.

claim 7 wherein said means includes a tapered member having a screw action in said reel head.

9. In a fishing reel having heads, aspool rotatable between the reel heads, said spool having .an annular wall in one of said reel heads, a brake shoe between the annular wall 15 of said spool and the axis of said spool and movable outwardly against said spool wall, a spring extending between said brake shoe an the axis of sa1d spool and holding said brake shoe in engagement with theannular wall of said spool, and means shiftable in a direction parallel to the axis of said spool adapted for regulating the tension of said spring.

10. A fishing reel as called for in claim 10, wherein said means is screwed in the reel head adjacent the annular wall of said spool;

In testimony whereof I afix my signature.

WILLIAM SCHMID. 

